Sunday, January 29, 2006
Pioneer of Indian journalism remembered
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: India's first newspaper editor and publisher James Augustus Hicky, who launched the Bengal Gazette in 1780, was remembered Sunday by budding journalists, who demanded that a stamp be issued to honour him.
Journalism students from Agra University, the IGNOU media course and the mass communication department of Central Hindi Institute took part in a seminar here on "Indian Media Today" and recalled the contributions of Hicky, who is regarded as the founder of Indian journalism.
The meeting decided to ask the central government to release a postal stamp to mark the establishment of the Bengal Gazette 225 years ago. Addressing the gathering, Chandra Kant Tripathi, registrar of the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, said the publication of Bengal Gazette marked the beginning of Indian journalism, which today has grown into one of the most vibrant media in the world.
The speakers also pointed to some negative traits that had crept into the profession. Vinay Paliwal, an NGO activist, said: "The foundation of the Indian press was laid by a man who was truly a fighter and a crusader and not one who would easily compromise like many journalists seem to be doing today." Rajiv Saxena, a senior journalist, said: "It was India's good fortune and due to the contribution of generations of crusading journalists that we still have a free press despite a temporary aberration in the form of the Emergency in 1975-77."
Hicky launched the Bengal Gazette, an English weekly of two pages, on Jan 29, 1780. A surgeon by occupation, he took upon himself to bring out "a weekly political and commercial newspaper open to all parties but influenced by none". Though criticized for his coarse language, he was ruthlessly fearless and carried on a well-intentioned tirade against the East India Company's rule for almost 26 months before the authorities decided to bring down the axe on him.
Agra: India's first newspaper editor and publisher James Augustus Hicky, who launched the Bengal Gazette in 1780, was remembered Sunday by budding journalists, who demanded that a stamp be issued to honour him.
Journalism students from Agra University, the IGNOU media course and the mass communication department of Central Hindi Institute took part in a seminar here on "Indian Media Today" and recalled the contributions of Hicky, who is regarded as the founder of Indian journalism.
The meeting decided to ask the central government to release a postal stamp to mark the establishment of the Bengal Gazette 225 years ago. Addressing the gathering, Chandra Kant Tripathi, registrar of the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, said the publication of Bengal Gazette marked the beginning of Indian journalism, which today has grown into one of the most vibrant media in the world.
The speakers also pointed to some negative traits that had crept into the profession. Vinay Paliwal, an NGO activist, said: "The foundation of the Indian press was laid by a man who was truly a fighter and a crusader and not one who would easily compromise like many journalists seem to be doing today." Rajiv Saxena, a senior journalist, said: "It was India's good fortune and due to the contribution of generations of crusading journalists that we still have a free press despite a temporary aberration in the form of the Emergency in 1975-77."
Hicky launched the Bengal Gazette, an English weekly of two pages, on Jan 29, 1780. A surgeon by occupation, he took upon himself to bring out "a weekly political and commercial newspaper open to all parties but influenced by none". Though criticized for his coarse language, he was ruthlessly fearless and carried on a well-intentioned tirade against the East India Company's rule for almost 26 months before the authorities decided to bring down the axe on him.
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